That's not the only way to propagate actually. My parents own a microbiology laboratory. Plant tissue culture is a way to grow just about any kind of plant from just a singular plant cell, though the most commonly used type of cells in this process are meristematic tissue such as the root tip and axillary bud tips. All plants have this kind of tissue. To have such a narrow-minded field of thought is a detriment only to yourselves. Tissue culture is actually better anyway, so you don't have to destroy an entire bud and root tissue is always plentiful. It also has a higher success rate than when you just try to propagate at home. The tissue culture process can easily be replicated at home as long as a sterile environment is provided. All you really need is a medium to suspend the tissue culture in such as agar, in a temperature controlled environment. Though the suspension medium differs greatly from what kind of plant is being produced. Orchids, for example, require higher levels of malto-detrixin and banana powder to successfully grow. Since there's not much tissue culture done of Ficus lyrata, it would be necessary to find the right suspension medium that yields the highest rates of cell division.

Update! Four of the babies have been removed from the momma leaf*, who is back in her materinity ward to see if she wants to give up any more. (because I totally need more unidentified plant babies) Three had good roots, one was like a little sucker on another. I don't hold out a whole lot of hope for it but it's in a wee cup, under a dome to see if it will grow roots. Sadly because it's soooooo tiny and rootless, I fully expect it to die. Anyway, I'll try to get pictures later on. ~ I have to (shamefully) admit that two of the babies were removed about a week ago and were probably a little bit too small but I was so impatient with my first attempt! So far they don't appear to be doing much except not dying, and not dying is a good thing.

Nope, not hard to root leaves. Have you checked out the African violet FAQ? It will answer a ton of your questions and give simple instructions. When you cut the leaf just make the cut angle to the front of the leaf; you don't want babies growing behind. Linda From the AV FAQ: How can I propagate an African violet by leaf cutting? 1. Choose a healthy leaf from the second or third row of your African violet plant.. 2. Cut stem at 45 degree angle and place in damp potting soil. (Leaves placed in water or vermiculite will make water roots or vermiculite roots and will take longer to adjust to soil.) 3. Cut off top 1/3 of leaf. Place with name tag if available. Put plastic sack over pot for a week or so. 4. Place pot in indirect light from a window or under florescent lights. 5. Babies should start growing within 4-6 weeks. When babies are about 2 inches tall, or have at least 4 leaves per plantlet, separate and put each into individual pots. Place plastic on these for about a week. Then treat as mature plants.

@AnneCecilia...those vented lids do look great and at a great price too. @Amy...mostly these are leaves from round robins, a mix of standards and semis @ Vikki...thanks for that tip. Actually I have also noticed that sometimes the leaves under the dome become mushy and have lost some too. Maybe next time will try without the lid, though I have never tried wicking. I usually water from the bottom or from the top. But I guess doing wicks may save me time. I always get confused about what kind of yarn to buy and am lazy at starting the set up. Anyway, the lid is propped up partially, the soil did seem a bit dry after the holidays, so I watered very little. I am again out of town for a week, so will open up the lid completely after I am back. Thanks everyone!! Cooks